Things I Love: July 2016

July is a month for celebrating - festivals, family gatherings, and just because it’s summer. I love to entertain and make people feel relaxed and well fed! I’m always stocking up on cute napkins and plates and my friends tease me for the huge rubbermaid tote that I have filled with assorted napkins and paper products for every holiday and season. Ok…I might be a little obsessed. But friends stopping by unexpectedly, or a conversation that turns into a meal, or the 6 hungry teenage boys that ask to stay for dinner don’t phase me because I have a ready supply of things to make entertaining less stressful, whether a planned event or not.

I love picking up random sets of napkins or straws that catch my eye, but when I need to get things for a party, Target has a great line (of everything, right?) of paper products and party decor that is fun to mix and match. I always seem to buy red since it works for so many holidays - 4th of July, Coast Guard Festival, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Plus a lot of my serving dishes are patterns of red too, so it all works. My favorite serving dishes (besides my antique Melmac bowls) are made by QSquared out of New York. I have randomly found their serving platters in various gift shops, but their website has me drooling over all the possibilities.

Besides red, my other favorite colors are aqua and yellow and my tea towels and new felt coasters echo these colors. I don’t really have high end wood furniture that needs to be protected from drink glasses, but these coasters are just too cute to not leave out and use.

I also seem to collect drink glasses of various sizes and colors. I’m always on the look out in antique stores and always seem to find some at IKEA. These new ones at IKEA are similar to an antique set I have, and look just as retro. Who can’t resist a yummy drink on a hot day with a few friends? I think I need to go plan another porch party!